From 12 to 14 January , UpRights Co-founder, Valérie Gabard, led a training in Niamey (Niger) for the Commission Nationale des Droits Humains (“CNDH”) designed to improve the effectiveness of drafting human rights investigation reports.

Around 20 participants, technical staff at the central and regional level and certain Commissioners from the CNDH actively participated in the training. Over the course of three days, participants shared their experience in relation to the drafting of human rights reports. The training provided participants with the tools to analyse information collected during human rights investigations and effectively report on them in order to obtain positive change. The training involved presentation of best practices, practical analysis and drafting exercises and targeted discussions and experience sharing on exisiting reports of the CNDH.

These capacity-building initiatives are part of the “Human Rights and Access to Justice in Niger” project “Adalci Project” implemented by a consortium of organisations including the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI), Freedom House, Search for Common Ground and PACT. This four-year program is funded by USAID.

This activity was building on the expertise acquired by the technical staff and Commissioners of the CNDH last October during a first training on investigation’s best practices.

From 11 to 15 October, UpRights Co-founder, Valérie Gabard, in coordination with an on-site facilitator and investigator, led two trainings designed to build capacity to investigate serious human rights violations and abuses during crises to support victims in their quest for justice in Niamey, Niger.

The first training involved 25 participants, composed of technical staff at the central and regional level and certain Commissioners from the Commission Nationale des Droits Humains (“CNDH”). It was a targeted and practical three-day training. The training aimed to strengthen existing investigation practices of the CNDH and to equip participants with best practices to conduct secure, ethical and victim-centered human rights investigations with a focus on victim and witness protection and investigation planning. This training was followed by a two-day training on the same topic for 20 representatives of civil society organizations located in conflict-affected areas of Niger and who cooperate with the CNDH.

These capacity-building initiatives are part of the “Human Rights and Access to Justice in Niger” project “Adalci Project” implemented by a consortium of organisations including the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI), Freedom House, Search for Common Ground and PACT. This four-year program is funded by USAID.

On 23 to 25 November 2021, 15 participants composed of technical staff and certain Commissioners from the Commission Nationale des Droits Humains (CNDH) undertook a training designed to build capacity to draft investigative reports on allegations of human rights violations. The training was led remotely by UpRights Co-founder, Valérie Gabard, in coordination with on-site facilitator and human rights specialist Sawadogo Lamoussa Carol.

The training formed part of the three year “Human Rights and Access to Justice in Burkina Faso” program implemented by a consortium of organisations led by the American Bar Association Initiative for the Rule of Law, and including Freedom House and Search For Common Ground and Pact, was funded by the United States Agency for International Development.

The training is an important step towards improved human rights reports, effective collection of evidence and ultimately an improved human rights situation.

For more information click here

From 26 July to 31 July 2021, Valérie Gabard, co-founder of UpRights delivered two trainings for members of the National Commission for Human Rights and for members of civil society organisations on best practices for the documentation of serious human violations and international crimes as part of the “Human Rights and Access to Justice in Burkina Faso” program (DHAJ) lead by the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI).

From 26 to 28 July 2021, UpRights delivered a training for the members and the staff of the Burkina Faso National Commission for Human Rights. The three-day training centred on techniques to improve the documentation of serious human violations and international crimes in the context of crises or conflict situations.

The deterioration of the security situation in Burkina Faso in recent years has led to an increase in the number and a change in the nature of serious human rights violations and abuses committed in the country. The training was designed to assist the commissioners and staff of the National Commission for Human Rights in carrying out their human rights documentation mandate in this context. The goal of the training, according to Valérie Gabard, co-founder of UpRights “is to give this relatively young institution a systematic framework and the tools to facilitate the work of investigators in the field”.

This training was followed by a two-day training on the same topic for civil societies organisations (field partners of the National Commission for Human Rights) and members of two working groups within the Commission. It was the first capacity-building training for Civil Society Organizations from the region, and it aimed at harmonizing the practices of the organisations for the documentation of serious human violations and international crimes in the context of Burkina Faso.

“This training is welcome because it meets the needs of our work in the field as members of an organization for the defense of human rights, particularly in terms of information collection, treatment, approach, organization of field missions, and especially of documentation and data backup. Given the situation the country is going through, this training will allow us to be more productive”, said at the end of the training Ousséni Maïga, Secretary general of the Center for Good Governance in the Sahel, Vice-president of the working group “Service to victims including legal and judicial assistance”.

These two capacity building trainings are part of the “Human Rights and Access to Justice in Burkina Faso” program (DHAJ), a program funded by the American Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by a consortium of organisations comprising the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI – leader of the project) but also Freedom House, Search For Common Ground, and Pact.

To learn more, follow the links to the Burkina Faso National Commission for Human Rights website:

Renforcement de capacités : Les membres de la CNDH formés aux techniques d’investigation

Investigation des cas de violation des droits humains : Des OSCs formées afin d’harmoniser les pratiques

UpRights is pleased to share a new position paper entitled “Towards a Better Migrant Protection Framework Along the Central Mediterranean Route: Human rights implications and necessary revisions of the Memorandum of Understanding Between Italy and Libya”.

Read the full Position Paper.

The paper considers the human rights implications of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Italy and Libya on 2 February 2017 in which Italy committed to support and strengthen Libyan authorities’ ability to perform rescue missions and intercept migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea.

The position paper highlights that the implementation of the MoU by Italy is in violation of its obligations under international human rights law. The paper recommends that Italy amend the MoU to ensure that cooperation with Libya is consistent with its international obligations. Should such amendments be impossible, Italy must suspend or terminate the MoU to ensure it is in compliance with relevant international obligations.

As detailed in the paper, the MoU has empowered Libyan authorities, particularly the Libyan Coast Guard, at the expense of migrants’ human rights. Migrants recovered at sea by the Libyan Coast Guard have been and continue to be subjected to serious forms of mistreatment by the Libyan Coast Guard and the armed groups in charge of the detention centres where migrants are later transferred after disembarking in Libya. They are subjected to various forms of ill-treatment, including arbitrary arrest, torture, inhuman treatment and sexual violence. In addition, Libyan authorities have been directly implicated in the business of trafficking of migrants.

Despite awareness of the abuses faced by migrants rescued at sea by the Libyan authorities, the Italian authorities have not undertaken any measures to prevent the commission of further human rights violations. On the contrary, the MoU was tacitly renewed in February 2020. In addition, on 15 July 2021, the low chamber of the Italian Parliament (Camera dei Deputati) authorised once again the financing of the Libyan Coast Guard pursuant to the MoU. This decision will be effective once ratified by the high chamber of the Parliament (Senato).

The paper considers the potential Italian liability emanating from the MoU in light of the conduct of Libyan authorities including potential violations of the United Nations Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and possibly the European Convention on Human Rights. Indeed, the Italian Government’s material support for the Libyan authorities, without due regard for the human rights of those whom their actions affect, attracts its responsibility under these instruments.

This paper recommends that Italy’s cooperation with Libya must be reframed consistently with its human rights obligations and in light of the recommendations formulated on numerous occasions by different international organisations including the Committee Against Torture and the Council of Europe.

In particular, Italy should amend the current MoU to include a human rights clause specifying that the respect of human rights, and possibly of international humanitarian law, is an essential element of the respective treaty. The provision must allow the parties to suspend or terminate the treaty in case of persistent violations of the clause and should, at a minimum, incorporate:

1. The establishment of an independent body or organ in charge of monitoring and evaluating of human rights and international humanitarian law compliance by the parties in the execution of the MoU;

2. A list of mitigating measures which parties may seek in the event of human rights violations to address such violations and ensure non-repetition;

3. The implementation of a legal framework to facilitate effective access to justice for those who suffered human rights violations connected to the support provided by Italy on the basis of the MoU.

Should amendments consistent with these principles be unable to be introduced in the MoU, the paper concludes that the only viable alternative which can ensure Italy is not held responsible for the human rights violations committed by the Libyan authorities would be to terminate or suspend the MoU.